Your Everything
by xXAonoNYmouSPXx
Summary: She was a former Black-Ops operative that finally settled as a high school teacher after coming back from war. Old faces and new friends were always appreciated and she was forever grateful for their support regarding her sensitive, critical condition. Learning that one of her former superior's son has feelings for her however, was never part of the plan. R&R! Age-Swap! ModernAU
1. Chapter 1

For commuters who understood the hustle and bustle of the everyday stress of riding public transportation vehicles just to get to their workplaces and schools, only they can truly appreciate a day when they can freely move their arms and not accidentally elbow someone, much less move around into more comfortable positions. Some may even call it a miracle.

Such was the case of junior high school- Hatake Kakashi, as he rode the morning train to school. With his crisp black uniform, white face mask, and infamous scar over his left eye that only added an air of mystery around him, he watched the buildings and houses pass by while casually leaning on his seat, hands in his pocket.

Yes, it was a miracle that there weren't that many passengers on the train today. He considered it a rarity and a sign of greater than good fortune for the day. It's already a good sign if he didn't ride the train and be sandwiched between bodies that tower over him because of his young age, getting the opportunity to sit however was a luxury in itself. Yet when the train pulled over the next station, Kakashi stood from his seat in a heartbeat and escorted an elderly woman to his seat- seeing as how the others were already occupied.

The old woman thanked him kindly and he responded with eyes creasing as he settled to stand by the door and lean on the metal bar. The bulb above blinked in warning as the car's door slowly closed and he whipped his head to the side to another door just in time to see another commuter barely making it just in time before the door closed. Kakashi shook his head at that, as he could practically hear their labored breathing from where he stood. Such occurrences weren't uncommon and he could sympathize since he too has experienced what it was like.

But when the person rose their head, chest still panting heavily as they calm their nerves, he practically felt his heart stop. Wide eyes stared back in wonder at the beautiful woman who leaned by the door facing him. His lips pressed into a thin line behind his mask at her emerald eyes, and he felt himself swallow when she raked her fingers in her pink locks to pin her hair up and expose her slender neck.

She must have felt eyes on her and she indeed caught his.

When she smiled with a cute tilt of her head, Kakashi whipped his head away and turned his back as he reflexively brought his mask up higher to the bridge of his nose. As if it will help cover the redness of his features burning from his neck to the tips of his ears while his heart beat loudly like taiko drums.

Yes, he must be having a good fortune today.

.

Walking the rest of the way from the station to his school never felt so slow. When the train stopped at his designated station, he took a glimpse back in hopes of seeing the beautiful woman again but alas, she was already gone. It was troubling and admittedly odd- in a strange sort of pleasant way, at how he kept thinking back at that encounter. He wanted, but at the same time didn't want to shake that woman's image out of his head.

She had a really beautiful smile too.

Kakashi sighed dejectedly, willing himself to think that he might never even see her again. He snapped from his stupor when he neared the school gates just in time to see his lifelong friend wave a hand goodbye to the black car with the Uchiha family crest that just sped away.

"Good morning Kakashi!" Obito greeted jovially, running up to him and lock his arm around his head in greeting.

"Yo." He responded lazily, raising a hand in greeting to Obito's older cousin- Itachi.

"Good morning to you too, Kakashi." The older Uchiha greeted with a small smile before turning to his hyperactive cousin. "Since your friend's here, I'll be going on ahead, alright Obito?"

"Yeah sure!" Obito practically shooed him away and Itachi just shook his head. He nodded one more time to Kakashi before making his way inside.

Once he finally got the Uchiha to let go, they walked through the gates at their leisure pace, having plenty of time and using the opportunity to chat- at least Obito did most of the talking- about how their weekend went. For Kakashi's tale, there wasn't much to report since he and his father spent their entire weekend fishing at the lake with the dogs. With Hatake Sakumo's job as a humble resident cop, he made sure to always use the opportunity to spend time with his son. Not that Kakashi's complaining. As overbearing as his father can be with his doting as a single parent, he was still a great father nonetheless.

"By the way, how come your cousin didn't drive you to school today? Does he have a new case or did he finally get himself in prison this time?" Kakashi brought in the topic.

"How'd you know Sasuke didn't drive today?!" Obito gawked at him with genuine surprise.

He shrugged and replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "The car's license plate was different."

"Hehhh?" the Uchiha wondered as he deflated. He should've already been accustomed to the Hatake considering how long they've been together since kindergarten. "Big bro Sasuke's preoccupied. He said that he has an important friend coming over to town and is helping them move in. They just arrived last Friday and he's been busy since."

Kakashi blinked at his direction, eyebrows partially raised. "Important friend? Your cousin actually has friends?"

"I know! I didn't believe it at first either!" he grinned and laughed teasingly along. "Ah but don't let Itachi hear you. You know how he idolizes his older brother."

"Noted." He nodded.

.

Shifting his weight from one foot to another, Kakashi sighed boredly as they waited in line for the school assembly to start. All the while other students talked amongst themselves noisily. Some talked what the hoopla was about while the others simply didn't care and chatted about random things. It was even noisier considering that the high school students were gathered along with them.

Kakashi sighed once again as he absentmindedly listened to his classmates literally surrounding him. Obito was too busy talking to Rin with that ever-present blush on his cheeks. It was no secret that the Uchiha has a crush on the brunette- he had for a long time now- and after a period of awkward one-sided rivalry, they made it clear that Kakashi doesn't reciprocate her admiration for him. Nonetheless, Nohara Rin is a kind and interesting enough of a person that they became friends. The only problem for Obito's conquest for love though, was that Rin can be a bit oblivious. It's a bit mean but Kakashi would be lying if he says that watching Obito's sullen moments after a failed attempt of wooing someone (almost) unattainable wasn't amusing.

Someone unattainable…

His thoughts wondered back to the pink haired woman he had seen at the train earlier. Yes, she's the prime example of someone unattainable. Whether he admits that he had been… _intrigued_ by the mere sight of her or not, is the least of his problems. For one, he might never see her again. The chances of that happening were slim to none. And furthermore, he's just a scrawny fourteen-year-old that's gonna enter high school after this semester ends. No matter how many people said that he inherited his father's handsome looks, he doubts someone like her would look twice on someone younger than them.

The gymnasium fell into silence when the teachers and the principal finally went up the stage. Kakashi only listened half-heartedly as they talked about times changing and whatnot. But he did pay close attention once Professor Sarutobi stepped up onto the podium to deliver his farewell speech. He didn't know the old man personally but Sarutobi Hiruzen is a kind and excellent teacher that is loved and respected by virtually all the students and faculty members. So he understood why the school bothered to gather everyone to give him a proper farewell since he announced that he'll be retiring. Asuma made mention that he will be spending the rest of his retirement days back at their province raising his own field or something like that.

Everyone clapped and bowed once he finished his speech.

"Lastly, let me do the honor of introducing you all to Ms. Haruno Sakura. She will be taking my place from now on. She's a good subo-" he stopped when he heard a not-so-subtle cough and Hiruzen righted himself, chuckling. "I mean, she's a good friend and she's like a daughter to me so please treat her well."

The entire gymnasium fell into silence before it erupted into noises of admiration (especially male populace from the high school department) when long legs and a figure wearing modest uniform walked from the stage wing and stand at the center where a microphone stood.

Kakashi felt his breath hitch in his throat.

"Thank you very much, Hiruzen-sensei." Her giggle made butterflies in his stomach flutter. "My name is Haruno Sakura It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

.

Of course, as it was in a cliché turn of events, Ms. Haruno Sakura turns out to be their new homeroom teacher. And Kakashi, bless his poor heart, just can't take the pressure as his eyes shifted between staring at his desk or at the beautiful woman writing her name on the chalkboard. At least, his classmates were too in awe to notice his strange behavior.

"I'm sure you all know me by now from the assembly but please, let me to introduce myself again." Sakura smiled and gave a short bow. "Everyone, my name is Haruno Sakura. I'll be in charge with all of you for the following semester. As I said before, I'm not here to replace Hiruzen-sensei because I'm sure I can never replace all the memories you have with him, but if you will all allow me, I'd like to make new memories with all of you so I hope we all get along! Aside from being your homeroom teacher, you'll also be seeing me in your history period. I'm pretty lenient as long as you all behave but I won't tolerate any tardiness and misbehavior. If you have any concerns or if you just want to have someone to talk to about something, then feel free to approach me. This is my first time teaching in a proper school so please be patient with me."

The class clapped her welcome and Kakashi clapped along with them- a little too loud though. Still, amidst his racing heart, he still caught on what she said and he can't help but wonder what she meant about her teaching in a 'proper school' for the first time.

"Since it's our first meeting, is there anything you want to ask?" hands shot up immediately in the air, some waving and calling out her name enthusiastically and Sakura chuckled as she picked Genma.

"Ne, how old are you Haruno-sensei?!" the toothpick-chewing student asked brightly, completely oblivious to the horrified expressions he gathered from the rest of the class.

"Idiot! Don't you know you're not supposed to ask a woman her age?!" one of his classmates rebuked and Genma winced after realizing his mistake as he cautiously sunk lower in his seat, avoiding eye-contact with their new teacher.

"W-W-Well I- It's just that-! H-Haruno-sensei looks very, very pretty so I just wondered…" he stammered.

However, instead of scolding him and avoiding the question, Sakura laughed as she chided the class. "Now, now everyone. No need to panic, I'm not gonna go on a murder spree just because you're all curious. Besides, I don't mind, but I doubt you all are gonna believe me anyway. What's the average age of this class?"

"Fourteen and fifteen, ma'am!" Gai supplied.

She hummed, lifting a finger to her smiling lips. "Then our ages aren't too far off. But I'll have to warn you that asking a woman her age comes with a high price. I actually just turned twenty-one this year."

Shouts of disbelief erupted and even Kakashi almost slipped off his seat. No way! Really?! He'll be turning fifteen this year so does that mean they're only five- no, six years apart?! Kakashi shook his head violently to rid himself of those thoughts before they could lead to something else.

"NO WAY!"

"My eldest brother is the same age but he's still in college!"

"I wouldn't be surprised though, Sakura-sensei does look very young!"

"She is the prime example of the springtime of youth!"

"But how come she's working already?!"

"Duh! She's probably accelerated because she's really smart! What other reason could there be?!"

"If the seniors in the high school department knew about her age, then do you think they're gonna hit on her?"

"Don't be stupid! A r-r-relationship between a student and a teacher i-is t-t-taboo!"

Kakashi's thoughts dulled out at that last comment and apparently, he wasn't the only one who heard it as most of the class have their faces painted in red. Sakura clapped her hands for attention and the noise died down in hush tones and embarrassment. Still, Kakashi can't help but think how cute she looked with her own cheeks tinted with the same color as her hair.

"Okay everyone that's enough. My goodness you all have a wild imagination." She laughed and that effectively set up the mood a bit. "It's up to you whether to believe me on that part or not. Just be reminded that just because our ages are close, doesn't mean you guys can disrespect me in the future. I'm still your teacher first and foremost after all. So, any other non-age-related questions?"

Kurenai raised her hand. "Why did Haruno-sensei choose to teach here?"

Sakura let out a fond smile. "Well, teaching wasn't exactly a plan I had in mind. Let's just say that coming here was an opportunity given to me so I just went along and grabbed it."

"Then what did you meant by teaching at a proper school for the first time? What did you do before coming here?" surprisingly, it was Kakashi who asked, and when he realized it coupled with Sakura's smile that directed towards him, he felt as if his heart was about to break free from his rib cage. He fought against an internal battle while he willed himself to act cool and composed. Thankfully, he managed to pull it off and was really grateful that he wore a mask or else he would've given himself away.

"Ahh but didn't I say that there's a high price in asking for my age?" she giggled and Kakashi deflated at how she avoided his question. "That's enough questions for today. Now before the hour ends, I'd like to get to know all of you so I'll be checking attendance."

She made a roll call and his classmates diligently raised their hands whenever their names were called.

"Nohara Rin?"

"H-Hai!" she flustered, raising her hand up straight. Sakura blinked at her and secretly put her finger over her lips, making the girl blush redder.

"Uchiha… Obito?"

"Right here!" he gloated, missing the way she smiled fondly at him.

"Hatake Kakashi?" The silver-haired snapped and raised an almost shaky hand up. "Hatake-kun, are you sick?"

"N-No… it's a sort of... habit…" he answered. It wasn't the first time he was asked regarding his mask.

"Well, I don't really mind, just make sure you I can hear you properly if I ever call you, alright?"

"Y-yes, sensei."

When she sent him another smile, he almost fainted.

* * *

Honestly, he didn't know whether his day was completely out of good fortune or not. When class was over, he had to decline Obito's offer to go to the arcade and even though the Uchiha expressed his displeasure, he understood when Kakashi mentioned that his father sent him a text. Instead of heading straight home, he ventured towards another path and stopped by the flower shop on the way.

"Hey there kid, how was school?" Ino greeted and Kakashi just shrugged his shoulders. She snorted at his lack of response. "The usual?"

With a nod, Ino made work on a simple bouquet as he readied his money for payment. He continued walking up the path towards his destination and sure enough, his father was already there in front of the family gravestone.

"There you are Kakashi! Come, come, let's greet your mother." He waved and Kakashi dutifully stood by his side. He placed his flowers onto the slab of stone where a box of shortcake already sat before lighting a stick of incense. With his father, they clapped their hands and bowed in prayer for his dead mother and offered their respects to the late members of the Hatake family.

Hatake Sakumo's wife died tragically due to the stress of childbirth. As much as it pained him, Sakumo never held it against his son and instead raised him with much care a single parent could. Kakashi may have never had the chance to get to know his mother but his father made sure to always tell him stories about the kind of woman she was and how she would have loved him unconditionally. There is always a bond there between parent and child, and even though Kakashi only knew her from his father's stories, he had grown to respect and love his deceased mother nonetheless.

"So how was school, son?" asked his father as he ruffled his hair affectionately making him groan in annoyance to which he just laughed off.

"We uhh…" Kakashi felt his face heating up for the nth time that day. "Sarutobi-sensei retired today and we got a new teacher."

"Oya? Well how were they?"

"She's… she's… she'sreallypretty."

Sakumo's eyes visibly widened at the realization of his son's behavior.

"Son, let's go back. I need to tell your mother that you finally have a crush-!"

"DAD!"

* * *

Sakura blinked hard and allowed her dagger to fall back on her desk with a dull thud. She laughed at herself silly before plopping her feet up on the coffee table. Old habits die hard. She gushed at her fat, white and orange cat as she snuggled the feline to her chest. The welcome party the faculty gave her was nice enough. The other teachers were kind, albeit a little reluctant at her age and she supposed that she can't blame them. She is, after all, too young to even be considered fresh out of college.

Thankfully, the director of the school was very familiar with her situation and managed to conjure up a well-written story of how that came to be. Considering her situation, it was the best she could get. Among the students she held today, she didn't expect three familiar students to be in her care. The girl- Rin, was her neighbor and they had given her a house-warming gift when she moved in. The other one though, well, she guessed that Obito probably didn't know her based on his lack of reaction and she knew Sasuke probably didn't say a single word to him considering that her reclusive, brooding friend always kept to himself. Well, she'll probably have fun watching his reaction once she pays her respects when she finally visits the Uchiha compound.

As for the last one, just from his hair alone Sakura could already confirm that Kakashi is definitely her former superior's son. She wondered what sort of reaction the black-op's former White Fang would give her once he finds out. She giggled at the thought. It's a pity though, for Kakashi to wear a mask, she bet that he would be as handsome as his father.

"Let's go, Nyanko-sensei."

Once her show was over and her hair was completely dry, Sakura turned off the TV, picked up her cat, and plopped herself down on her comfortable bed. She takes one last glance at the frame at her bedside table showing her and her precious team in her military years before calling it a night and drift off to dream land.

* * *

 **Will continue depending on your responses.**

 **Ciao~!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Uzushio… after all the fuss you made, I find you here in Uzushio! Disappearing for almost a year… bah!" Sakura flinched, hands gripping tightly around her glass of water and letting her fingers feel the cold vapor of its condensation. She didn't need to look up to see the exasperated look the veteran commander was giving her. She could feel it in waves. There was a soft thud that came as Hiruzen brought down his mug of beer, their food still steaming and untouched. "So, what do you plan to do now? I hope you're planning on coming back home considering you're literally just one plane ticket away."_

 _"I…" Sakura opened her lips, but couldn't find it in herself to answer. She looked away, almost ashamed. "I don't know."_

 _"You don't know?" he parroted, old tired eyes looking directly at her sullen form. "Come home, Sakura."_

 _"But the military…" she shook, finally having the strength to lift her head just to give him a weak smile. "…is my home."_

 _"No it's not." He grounded, feeling like the father that he was for the first time scolding his child in a long while. "The war is over, you have found your release. Just go back home."_

 _"I can't!" she cried out, earning them looks from the other patrons of the small restaurant they were in, but at that moment, both of them couldn't find it in themselves to care. "I can't go back there and not remember… I just can't... not yet… besides, I don't have a place to stay in Konoha anymore."_

 _Hiruzen stilled, letting the young woman before him collect her wits. He knew she was lying, it was a sorry excuse. With all her pension and the rewards coming from a Medal of Honor recipient, she could even afford her own house and no one will question her for it. His mind flashed him of the memory at how her disheveled, blood-soaked form came marching at the gates and demanding to be enlisted. She had come a long way since, but not even that can mend a broken heart._

 _"I'm sure if you ask the Uchiha or even the Uzumaki, they'll be more than willing to find a place for you." he spoke the truth. Knowing Sasuke and Naruto, especially how worried they were since she left, they'll use every opportunity they have to make sure she never leaves their sight again._

 _"I know they will…" she said wistfully, taking a sip of her water to appease her drying throat. She lost all her tears a long time ago._

 _The old man let out a long, drawn-out sigh before reaching into his coat. He takes out a pamphlet and slaps it down on the table in front of her. Sakura blinked her green eyes at the bold letters printed over a picture of a familiar school._

 _"Finding you here has never been a greater timing for me. You know that after my injury, I settled back in Konoha to live my dream as a teacher, right? Well, I'll be retiring soon and I need someone to look after the kids for me." Her head snapped up at him, mouth parted and ready to counter his implication but he raised his hand and gave her no chance to continue. "You don't have to decide now. The principal there is very familiar with our cases and I'm sure he wouldn't mind squeezing you in. He can even help make up a story for you. Think of this as an opportunity, Sakura. If you really don't have anything planned yet, you might as well keep yourself busy. I'll be leaving my number to you, I hope you'll consider my offer. Just don't dare to run away again, alright? Because if you do, I will personally track you down myself. I may be old and injured but I didn't become your commander for nothing."_

* * *

Sakumo waved back to his co-workers a goodnight as he made his way to the parking lot. His hand fisted out his keys from his pocket, flicking them one by one for the correct key that would start his car. His head bobbed a bit with a merry hum to his favorite song playing on his head, all the while thinking what dinner he should he prepare.

"…we will come back home…" he hummed, and wondered if he should ask his son if there's still some rice left at home. "I promi-"

"…promise you that we will come back home… I swear I will come back home," came a melodious voice and Sakumo felt his heart sank as he whipped his head around. There were only four people in the world he ever sang that song to. His late wife, his only son, and the broken girl who had nowhere else to go. True enough, that girl was right in front of him and he could feel tears welling up his eyes as she finished the song. "…I'll come home… back to you."

Her smile was sad, her face has aged and only those like him- those who understood- can see the tiredness in her lovely, young face. But still, she's still there, alive and well and whole. With her hair as vibrant and her eyes as verdant as ever. He didn't need an invitation to wrap this girl in his arms and hug her as tight as he could without hurting her.

The last time he heard about her was when they told him that she received a fatal wound when she came back from the battlefield. When the war ensued, all that he could do was pray for the safety and well-being of his subordinates since he couldn't be with them in the battlefield anymore. Especially her. He has yet to pay her back from what she had done to him, how she had practically saved his life, that it was because of her that he was able to see his son grow into the adorable boy that he was.

He can never forget the day how this girl- now a beautiful young woman, literally punched him to his senses after his preemptive failure of a mission and demanded him to stand back on his feet and remind him who he's fighting for- his only remaining family left. To think that she was the same girl who he tried to discourage to quit the forces, who he trained harshly day in and out just so she would give up in her delusions.

So when they told him she disappeared and Tsunade refused to tell them where she was, he was heartbroken. But now that she's finally in front of him, it felt like he's seeing a member of his family again for the first time.

It felt like he had been reunited with his daughter again.

* * *

"Thank you for helping me again, Hatake-kun." Kakashi could practically feel his sensei smiling down at him and his lips pressed into a thin line behind his mask. "But you don't have to volunteer every time, you know. I hope I'm not keeping you from spending time with your friends."

He shook his head, finally finding the courage to look up at her. To his credit, even though his heart continued to pound in his chest, he was now able to hold a conversation with her without stuttering or even drawling his words out. He's still grateful for his mask hiding his still blushing face though.

Kakashi shrugged, "I don't mind, Haruno-sensei."

"Such a gentleman." She cooed.

Okay, scratch that, how could he counter that?!

He swallowed, shifting the towering stack of papers in his arms. "Besides, Obito is probably having a field day for having Rin to himself."

Sakura laughed, and he still finds it delightful as he let out a mental sigh of relief. "Ahh puppy love. Poor Uchiha-kun needs to do more than that if he wants to impress Nohara-chan. What about you, Hatake-kun? Do you have someone you fancy too?"

Kakashi felt like he had a heart attack as he stumbled, almost dropping the stack. He whipped his head around despite the obvious redness of his face and furrowed his brows at his teacher- whose hand was doing her no justice to hide her smirk as she held back her laughter.

"Now, now, Hatake-kun, no need to overreact." She chastised. "I was just teasing you."

From behind his mask, he pouted, "You're so mean, sensei."

"Sorry, sorry." She finally let out her laugh, one hand coming up to shake in a feeble attempt of defense. "Still, any chance you'll tell me who the lucky girl is?"

His head whipped away, completely avoiding her expectant gaze. He can't have her knowing that the subject of his pre-teen, hormone-induced, crush is herself.

"No." he quipped, patting himself on the back for sounding normal.

Sakura pouted at her student before shrugging her shoulders dismissively, "Well, I tried. You don't have to worry though, you'll be a very handsome man when you grow up. I'm sure of it."

She moved on ahead, completely missing the way Kakashi looked back at her with wide eyes and a troubled mind. Deep inside, he knew that she didn't mean anything else out of it, nothing intimate or controversial, and he _knew_ that he shouldn't hold on to her words but in the end, he can't help but hold onto it.

With her free hand, she opens the door to the faculty room and they greeted her fellow teachers as they worked at their desks, grading homework and the like. Having already volunteered to assist the pink-haired teacher a couple of times already, Kakashi wound his way automatically to her desk and with her instruction, carefully placed the stack of papers on one side, making sure to arrange them neatly as he straightened up.

"Thanks again, Hatake-kun." She clapped and he nodded sheepishly.

"No problem."

With a courteous bow, he made his way out of the faculty room. He sighed and slung his bag over his shoulder as he took out his phone. Skimming through the notifications, he replied discreetly to Obito's messages on how 'awesome' his day went as he walked Rin home.

'You owe me.' He texted back, even though giving his best friend an opportunity with Rin wasn't intentional, but of course he'll never admit to the Uchiha his true purpose behind these ' _favors'_.

After replying to Obito, he opened the message he received from his father and actually tilted his head in confusion at his message. How strange. His father told him he couldn't make it to dinner tonight. He hadn't told him that he's working on a new case so something probably must've happened at work. Understandingly, he replied to his old man as he set his destination to the train station.

.

"Cheers!"

They raised their cups and downed the sake in one swig. Sakumo exhaled loudly, completely relishing the joy and excitement of seeing the pinkette again for like five? Six years?

"So how's my best private in the world?" he grinned from ear to ear, looking across their table where an okonomiyaki sizzled deliciously over the pan in front of them.

"That's First Lieutenant to you, Captain." She corrected, taking a bite out of her yakiniku.

Sakumo laughed heartedly, chastising, "Now, now, you forgot to add the word 'former' in that one."

He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little bitter about losing his position- as captain of the Black Ops and his formal rank. But it was a small price to pay if it meant being with his only living family again. After he was accused of jeopardizing a very important mission to save his comrades, he almost had a breakdown if Sakura didn't come up in his defense and knock some sense back into him.

Sakura smiled cordially, happy to see her former superior laughing and smiling again ever since he was relieved from duty. "I heard you came back to Konoha. I didn't think you'd choose to be a cop, though the uniform does look good on you, sir."

"Sakura-chan you know you can just call me Sakumo." He smiled, filling their cups again. "It's always the fallback I had in mind if something ever happens to me on duty. I can't just stay at home or at the bar drinking all the time and wallow in my miseries."

Even though his actions in that mission risked their enemies to gain the upper hand, it still didn't beat the fact that the mission- in the end- was a success. Thankfully, the members of the top brass didn't let their anger overshadow their judgment and suddenly have an amnesia of all the things Sakumo had done for the military. So instead, they withdrew the case; but in the end it was the White Fang's decision to retire, gather his pension, and live out the rest of his days watching his son grow and fulfill his role as a father. Needless to say Sakura was pretty upset when he left, he was like a father to her even though they had a rocky start, but then again, she respected his decision. She also didn't need to tell him about the calls, emails, and visits they received from the families of the soldiers he saved on that very mission every now and again.

When his last sentence sunk in however, Sakumo didn't miss the way her eyes shifted away and the subtle clenching of her hands on the table. He faked a cough as he gathered her attention, "So how long have you come back, Sakura? What have you been up to?"

That effectively brightened her mood as she looked up to him with an appreciative smile. "I just got back two weeks ago, actually. Sorry if I didn't come see you soon. I didn't realize I needed so much time to settle. I'm working now."

"Nah, it's alright, Sakura-chan. Even though I understand, it still hurt when you admitted that you didn't come see your dear old superior first." He feigned pain as he placed a hand over his chest to which Sakura just shook her head and laughed at his antics. Who would suspect this man to be the military's former top dog? "So what's your job nowadays then?"

She gingerly left him in quiet suspense as she chewed on her katsudon before smiling knowingly at him. "I'm working at Konohagakuen as a history teacher."

"Really?!" he doubled over, eyes wide as she nodded her head happily. "That's where my son goes! Wait- you're the new teacher? The one who took up after Ma- I mean, Hiruzen?"

"Yep." She quipped, continuing to chew merrily.

"But how? Has he always known where you were? I thought Tsunade was the only one who knew?"

Sakura scratched her cheek sheepishly, "It was… more of an accident? I uh… literally bumped into him while he was taking a vacation with his family in Uzushio."

Sakumo leaned back as he let the words sink in. Piecing the evidences together like a puzzle, he now understood how her current situation came to be. Knowing the retired Major General, who continues to send greeting cards to all his fellow soldiers- even to the retired and decommissioned ones like him, he's probably convinced the troubled pinkette to take his offer. The old man can be very persuasive if he wants. He nodded sagely, finally understanding. At least, now he knows that his subordinate- who's pretty much like his own daughter- is finally turning a new leaf. With her in that school, at least he can be rest assured that someone can watch out for his little scarecrow. Not that he doesn't have faith in his son's own security. His little boy does and knows how to defend himself after all. Speaking of which…

"So… I don't suppose you're the new teacher that's handling my son's class now?"

Sakura held up her hands, "The cat's out of the bag."

"Oh… Oh! Oh I see, I see..."

Sakura blinked at him, knowing that she's seen the way his expression change as if a light bulb lit atop his head. Which wasn't far from the truth. His mind looked back at what's transpired for the last few days ever since his son told him about their new teacher. The stuttering, the wistful looks, the way he reacted at anything pink and cherry blossom, the constant mentioning, the lengthy talks about her, not to mention he saw her name scribbled at the back of his notebook (at first he didn't thought of it as being the same Sakura, since the name is pretty common), and best of all- he's been teasing Kakashi about this mystery teacher since day one!

Well, he is at that stage after all. Sakumo would be more worried if Kakashi didn't show any interest in the opposite sex at that age. Ahh puppy love.

"Sakumo-san?"

He gave her a sly, knowing smile as his hand continued to rub his chin. "Take good care of my little scarecrow, alright Sakura-chan?"

She knew that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, and the way he smiled just screamed suspiciousness. Nevertheless, Sakura smiled as they clinked their cups together. "You know I will."

.

Kakashi yawned unabashedly, mask free from his face as he watched- unimpressed- as his father stumbled half-drunkenly into the kitchen. It wasn't that late but he was already starting to enter dreamland when he heard his name being called and some of the dogs jostled him awake. Pakkun's probably claimed his pillow again.

"Awww you already ate?" his father whined, looking at the cupboard with one cup of instant noodles missing from the rest.

"You said you weren't gonna be home for dinner." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, making his father pout which in turn caused him to roll his eyes. Trust in Sakumo to still act like so around his son. Times like this makes Kakashi wonder if his father really did join the military.

"You sure you're already full?"

"I'm fine, dad." He turned on his heel, "I'm going back to bed."

"You sure? Well, alright but what am I supposed to do with this miso with eggplant now?!"

That effectively stopped the young Hatake in his tracks.

"Miso with… eggplant?" he asked over his shoulder. His instincts were practically screaming at him at the sly smile on his father's face but his traitorous feet were already making its way to the kitchen island.

"Yes my boy." Sakumo nodded sagely, maneuvering his way around the kitchen to place a set of plate and utensils at the island. "And it smells so good too! It'll be such a waste if we'll just reheat it tomorrow _and_ we absolutely can't throw away good food!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed suspiciously, especially at his father's tone, but when he finally opened the plastic lock and lock that he brought home with him, Kakashi was immediately swept by the aroma of his freshly cooked favorite dish. He swallowed.

"W-Well, I suppose there's still some room in my stomach." He feigned coughing as he sat on the stool, hands already gripping on his chopsticks. When he finally took a bite, he swooned.

"Like it?" Sakumo smiled, chin resting in his hand as he watched his son eat happily.

"Yeah it tastes great."

"I'm glad." He reached over to ruffle his hair that only made him groan, but Kakashi was too relished in the dish to completely complain. "I suppose I owe her a thank you then, huh?"

"Her?" Kakashi looked up at that, food stopping halfway into his mouth as he regarded his father with a suspicious look. "You were with a girl?"

"Well she's less of a girl and more of a woman now actually. I'm really happy she grew up well." He replied casually, and when Kakashi didn't react to his answer and saw the way he was looking at him, Sakumo held up his hands in defense. "Ah! No, no, son! It wasn't like that! You know your mom's the only one for me!"

"Uh huh…"

"Now, now, don't look at me like that! Okay I admit that the person I met up with was a woman but she's just a subordinate of mine when I was in the military. She finally came home after so long and we just _had_ to spend some time together for old time's sake!" He sighed, "I should've brought you along, but I thought you'd just get bored and feel out of place."

"No, it's okay dad." Kakashi chided, his thoughts going back to the pictures his father displayed on the living room wall showing himself with other soldiers and he wondered which one he was talking about. "So did you have a good time?"

"Oh yes I did. It was really nice seeing her again. It's been years since I last saw her. You don't have to worry so much. No one can ever top your mom, and bless her soul she knows that my subordinate's more like family. She's like a daughter to me."

"Really?"

"Yes really. I took care of her at the base when she was younger than your age."

Kakashi blinked. "She was in the military when she was younger than my age?"

Sakumo stiffened, trust his son to pick up the minutest details in a casual conversation. He looked away, scratching his cheek sheepishly as he mentally kicked himself. "An… unnecessary detail… but yeah, she was."

"Why?"

He grinned, "That's classified information, private!"

Kakashi groaned at his father's antics, picking at his food absentmindedly. He wanted to know more and Sakumo knew that. However, jokes aside, his father smiled at him fondly and reached for his messy silver-hair and ruffled it in a more affectionate way.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you all the details. But let's just say that I owe that subordinate of mine a lot. I owe her so much that even though she said that we're already even, I still think that I need to repay her in some way."

"Why? What had she done?"

"Let's just say that if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing in front of you right now."

That answer came with a barrage of interpretations as well as questions. None of which Kakashi seemed to like but his father rarely talked about his time in the military. He knew that he served some time in the forces before retiring to focus on him since his mother died. He sacrificed a lot for him and Kakashi understood and will forever be grateful for his old man. But now that he thought about it, he didn't even know what rank his father was.

"So she saved your life?"

Sakumo smiled knowingly, "In a way. You'll formally meet her soon, and I bet you will like her a lot. Think of her as an older sister or something. She practically scolded me when she found out I left you all alone tonight even when I told her my son's already a big boy and can handle himself just fine. But she insisted and asked me what your favorite food was. She didn't have any saury so miso it was then. After that, well, here we are."

' _Formally'_? Kakashi wanted to ask, but he supposed that asking for details is enough for the day. Then he remembered some time a year ago, his father got a call and for the first time in his life, saw his father look so worried- not since his accident that caused the scar on his eye- as he shouted over the phone, speaking in codes and catching only the words ' _subordinate_ ', ' _injured_ ', and ' _missing_ ' in his comprehension. Maybe it was the same person.

Kakashi picked up another piece of eggplant and gingerly ate it.

"Good?" Sakumo smiled and he smiled back.

"It's very delicious."

He hoped he could meet this person soon. Personally, he wanted to thank her himself.

* * *

"What do you think, Nyanko-sensei?" Sakura smiled down as the cat just blinked at her in response. Her gaze went back to the picture frame she hang just beside her and her father's Medal of Honor. It was a picture of her ten-year old self, wearing her first fatigue uniform with former Captain Hatake Sakumo squatting beside her (she had never known he participated in Black Operations during that time), his big hand over her small head as they smiled at the camera. She remembered that it was her first smile ever since her parents died.

* * *

 **Will still continue depending on your responses.**

 **Ciao~!**


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi felt his consciousness coming back to him when his head registered the familiar irritating beeping of his alarm clock. He groaned as he sloppily dived under his pillow, pulling it over his head in an attempt to quell the sound from his ears. It's a Saturday! Why is he waking up so early in the morning?! Oh right, he forgot to remove the batteries (which he always did to ensure that he could sleep in to his heart's content on weekends). In between exams and his (subtle) volunteers to their pink-haired teacher's aide, he, Obito, and Rin, didn't hang out as much as they used to. But of course, all those missed chances were compensated once their exams for the first term was over. After which they spent the rest of the day hanging out like the good friends they were by going to the arcade, the karaoke (much to his chagrin), and to their favorite restaurant. When he got home, he was so tired that he barely remembered taking a quick shower, changing into a shirt and a pair of boxers, and throwing himself on his bed where he fell into slumber the second he closed his eyes.

Unfortunately, his pillow did nothing to shield him from the alarm clock's incessant beeping. With a lazy arm, he searched blindly for the source of his morning misery. When he finally caught the surface of the vibrating object, Kakashi didn't think twice and threw the offending object to the nearest wall. A hum of satisfaction graced him upon hearing it crash and silence returned to his room. He pulled his head back and adjusted the pillow so he could lie his head on it as well as hug the cozy material at the same time. He was having such a good dream too. Specifically a dream involving pink and greens that reminded him so much of spring. A part of him deep inside knew that he should stop all this nonsense, that everything he did involving _her_ was futile to begin with. Apart from school and her self-introduction months ago, he doesn't know nary a thing about her! _But a greater part of him can't help it!_

She's just so beautiful his heart aches just by looking at her.

Slamming his head onto his pillow, Kakashi struggled to sit up as if his back was piled on by his dogs. As much as he loved to sleep in and return to his blissful dreamland, once Kakashi roused from his slumber, it would be very difficult for him to sleep again. Swinging his legs at the edge of the bed, the young silver-haired took his time in rubbing the sleep off his eyes, not bothering to fix his already-messy hair. He grimaced at the sight of his alarm clock and he knew he needed to buy another one. As much as he hates the annoying thing, he has a clean record he has to keep up in school or else he will never hear the end of it from his old man. Besides, Haruno-sensei hates tardiness and she wasn't too shy to show her displeasure when a couple of his classmates showed up a few minutes late. The chalks that she threw dead center at their foreheads felt more like bullets out of a sniper rifle than anything before she started scolding them like an enraged mother.

Unfortunately for them, Haruno-sensei have this ' _one for all and all for one_ ' principle about camaraderie and looking out for one another more than just being simply classmates. Suffice to say they weren't off the hook and showed how serious she was in the form of a pop quiz. No one dared to be late (and hopefully, misbehave) in her class again. It was very scary to see the pinkette so mad when she's usually so calm and kind, but then again it's more amazing that she was able to pull her reprimanding off in a way that garnered her more respect than frowns and whispers behind her backs.

If anything, that incident only increased his view at how wonderful she was, but it also made him realize how out of reach she really was- that she was _way_ of his league.

"The future is so bleak." He sighed before finally willing himself to stand and pick up the broken pieces of his alarm clock, taking the batteries that were still intact before proceeding to throw away the rest. He made sure to make his bed before groggily walking down the stairs.

"Ahh since you're up early, I guess I wouldn't have to worry about the crash I heard." His father grinned at him as he walked into the kitchen, already half-way done into his breakfast. "Good morning, little scarecrow."

"Good morning." Kakashi greeted sleepily, too drowsy to complain about his father's nickname of him.

He settled himself on the kitchen island across from the older Hatake where a plate of food was already prepared for him, thankfully- still hot. He gave his thanks before digging in and enjoyed the amiable silence as they ate their breakfast with only the sloppy sounds of their dogs eating from their bowls at their corner of the kitchen.

"So, any plans you have today Kakashi?" Sakumo started, taking a sip from his coffee.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully as he chewed before swallowing. He shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing really, but Obito and Rin might call and want to hang out."

"Well since your exams just finished, I guess I can't complain if you just want to laze around all day. But if you and your friends do have some plans for today, do me a favor and walk the guys first. It's been a while since they went out of the house."

He nodded, "Got it.

"The chief's gonna visit our precinct today so I'll text you when I'll be coming home." Sakumo said as he stood from his chair, taking the dishes with him to the sink before donning on his police vest hanging at the backrest of his chair.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kakashi wondered, bringing his own plate and proceeded to clean the dishes.

"It just either means more work or an inspection, no big deal. I'll see you later, son." He ruffled his hair affectionately, making Kakashi groan to which he just laughed.

"Later!" Kakashi shouted amongst the collective barks as his old man stepped out of the door.

.

Tugging on the leashes hooked onto the vests, Kakashi nodded in satisfaction once they were secured. The eight dogs were all barking and jumping around, wagging their tails excitedly while some were already pawing at the front door as they waited for him to take them out for their walk. It'll be a great change of environment since he and his father were too busy to take them out beyond their backyard.

Making sure that there were no plugs plugged and the gas was securely closed, Kakashi inserted his fully charged phone inside his jacket before finally grabbing hold of the collective leashes in each hand. Three were linked to one handle where the dogs were evenly distributed for him to handle easily in spite of their strengths combined. The only one separated from the rest was Uhei- the brown greyhound but he's the best-behaved among all of them in disregard of his age.

Kakashi locked the gate behind him, double checking his dispenser of dog waste bags strapped at one of the leashes and his mask before tutting. The dogs automatically headed to the direction of the park with Pakkun in the lead- the small pug has always felt like the leader of the pack. Along the way, people stared back at him with a mixture of awed and weird faces- all of which he was already used to. After all, it's a bit weird to own so many dogs but as long as they don't make any snarky remark then Kakashi wouldn't mind the stares. These dogs were more than just pets, they're family. Each one of them is special and he loves them all equally- well maybe there's a _bit_ of favoritism to Pakkun but he loves them all nonetheless.

Pakkun, Bull, Urushi, Shiba, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko; all different from their pure and mixed breeds to their different personalities. There used to be only three of them until his father decided to adopt more. They've been in the care of the Hatake family ever since. Kakashi owed these dogs simply by being there with them. They kept the deathly silence and haunting nightmares away. To Kakashi's opinion, it's his father's way of coping from his mother's death- he mentioned that she loved dogs and would've loved to have a house filled with them. They helped his father immensely, and they also helped him by keeping him away from loneliness while his father's out busy with work. All of them had been beside him since he could remember- they were his friends, his brothers, and an integral part his family.

So imagine his fear when he realized one of them had gone missing.

* * *

Sakura smiled in content as she listened to her boys bicker back and forth from each of her sides. She missed them so much. When she agreed to Hiruzen's proposal, the sneaky old man had made sure she had no chance of changing her mind by ratting out her return to one of her beloved brothers. The first time she saw Sasuke cry was when they announced that the war was finally over- all the stress and inhibitions had finally weighed down on him that he broke down with all their comrades in the middle of the battlefield, and the second was when he held her so tight after she stepped into the lobby of the airport. All the while sobbing at her shoulder and whispering how stupid she was. Sakura just hugged him back and let him cry, but she, too, started sobbing tear-less cries when he finally told her he missed her so much.

The reunion with Naruto was one she didn't expect and more heartbreaking than anything. With Sasuke at her side, she finally resolved to go to the Uzumaki household. Naruto was a free spirit, the ray of sunshine in the dark and stale trenches of death during wartime. He was their beacon of hope that drove them to keep fighting no matter how hopeless the situation had become. Everyone thought that nothing could break the sun in his smile, _oh how were they wrong_. But it wasn't the war that made him lost his shine, it was _her_. The first time she saw Naruto so furious was when he was torn between his morals and orders- he was given a choice whether to kill a child who wholeheartedly supported the terrorists or risk their entire unit being ambushed instead. The second was when she stood in front of him.

He didn't hit her, he couldn't, but he still hurt her by shouting all obscenities towards her. Naruto made sure to make her realize how angry he was for not telling them anything, how panicked he was when she suddenly disappeared, how desperate he was to find her that he was threatened to be stripped off his veteran rights and honor for demanding every military base for any information regarding her location, how sad and hopeless he felt that he couldn't do anything, how she broke her promise of celebrating their hard-earned peace as blood brothers and sister, and how she crushed him in fear of never seeing her again. Of course, Sakura took all of those words in face value. She couldn't blame him, he was right; it was all because of her selfishness that made her blind of the repercussions she unwillingly created when she up and left with the wind.

In the end, a heartfelt sorry could never take back the damage she had done. Still, it was enough to make her beloved brother cry and hold her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

" _ **IDIOT**_ _! YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT, SAKURA-CHAN! DON'T YOU_ _ **DARE**_ _DO THAT AGAIN! DON'T_ _ **EVER**_ _DO THAT AGAIN! Please… just… don't leave us again…"_

As much as she wanted to, she didn't cry- she _couldn't_ cry, but her heart breaking as her boys held her was more than enough for someone as broken as her.

"Hey Sakura-chan, your hair's gotten longer." Naruto commented as they walked down the street to digest their brunch, lost in their memory lane. After that reunion, Naruto finally found his spark again.

Sakura brought her hand up, feeling the long tresses that had already gone past her shoulder blades. "Yeah I was planning on getting it cut. Wanna accompany me to the salon?"

The blonde grinned mischievously, "Sure! Then we can get teme a new hairstyle too! It's about time loses his duck-ass hair!"

The only time they ever saw the Uchiha change hairstyles was when they were mandated by the military since they enlisted and started boot camp.

Predictably, Sasuke glared, hissing between his teeth. "Touch my hair and I'll make sure you'll never see your beloved car again."

"Leave Kurama out of this!"

Ergo that incited another round of insults between them and Sakura let out another heartfelt laugh. It felt so surreal, this comfortable feeling, almost as if the tragedy of her past didn't happen and their bonds weren't forged in the wake of a war-torn field.

Their shouting ceased when a dog suddenly came running their way. The brown greyhound charged towards them with its insanely natural speed, its broken leash and blue vest flapped with the wind behind him. They side-stepped to let it pass but it suddenly jumped and nearly knocked Sakura down the cemented pavement at the force.

Sasuke and Naruto stared- bewildered, as the dog proceeded to jump, bark, and lick the pinkette's face. Its long tail wagged violently as it smothered her with its affection like it was a long lost dog finally reuniting with its master.

Sakura's eyes widened at the realization. She didn't need to look at the dog's name stitched on its vest as she hug the dog tightly like an old best friend.

"Uhei."

* * *

"Uhei! Uhei! Come here boy! Uhei!" Kakashi gritted his teeth behind his mask. His hand has been itching to call his dad for over an hour already but he was torn to continue finding his missing dog and bothering his old man at work. He spots Rin running towards him.

"Any luck?" he asked immediately with a hint of panic lacing his voice.

The girl panted to at least catch her breath to form coherent sentences, her brows furrowed apologetically. "I'm sorry Kakashi-kun."

"Dammit!" he bit back, surprising the brunette. Even though she knew he wasn't cursing at her, this was the first time she ever saw the usually calm and collected Hatake Kakashi so rocked from his saddle.

When they received a call from a desperate Hatake, they all but rushed immediately at the park where he told them that one of his dogs went missing. Obito and Rin at least understood why Kakashi was so frantic, those dogs were as good as family to him and even though they wanted to spend the rest of their Saturday lounging around the house, they knew their friend needed them more than ever. Especially when he rarely ever asked for a favor, much less help. They've been searching for a good few hours now, running around in circles in and out of the park asking everyone who could have seen a brown greyhound wearing a blue henohenomoheji printed vest.

"HEY KAKASHI! RIN!" Obito gripped the brakes of his bicycle and the wheels skidded to a halt just in front of them.

"Do you have any news, Obito-kun?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, I do…" The raven-haired furrowed his brows, lips pressed into a thin line as he looked at her and then to Kakashi. "I don't know if it's really Uhei, but I met a couple and they said they saw a brown dog wearing a blue vest at least an hour ago."

"Where?!" Kakashi stepped forward.

"At Founder's street…" Obito chewed on his bottom lip, indicating his hesitance. "They said they saw him with three people."

The surge of panic was palpable in Kakashi's wide eyes before he whipped his head around to direct his glare at his feet. His fists clenched at his sides as he willed himself to not think of the possibility that Uhei was dog-napped. He doesn't know if it's better or worse to think that the dog could be Uhei- it could be just another dog. Still… Founder's Street? Uhei's a smart dog and the most behaved one among the pack. Compared to the others, he's the only one who hasn't caused any mischief until now. So it doesn't make any sense for him to just suddenly run off, and to someplace far no less.

There's also the fact that he's going to get in big trouble if his father finds out Uhei had ran away. The greyhound was one of the last of his father's original pack. Uhei held a sentimental value as a loyal companion during Sakumo's military days.

"D-Don't think like that, Kakashi-kun." Rin tried to comfort, probably having the same line of thought as him. "If it was really Uhei, then maybe those people might return him."

"Y-Yeah! That's right!" Obito piped in, "Besides, isn't there a tag on his vest for your address? Maybe they went to the pound and filed a Lost and Found notice!"

"Obito-kun's right! Come on Kakashi-kun, why don't we go back to your place? Maybe they brought him there and if not, we could also try calling the pound."

"Come on Kakashi, there's no use moping around like that. Besides… you need to relax a bit. You look like shit."

Unfortunately, Obito's attempt to lighten up the mood was not enough to alleviate the thick tension on his best friend's shoulders, but at least it did the trick just enough for Kakashi to nod his head and walk back home- albeit dejectedly.

One moment he was spending the sunny afternoon at the park while sharing a few bags of beef jerky with the pack and the next thing he knew, Uhei suddenly started acting weird. His focus was directed at one section of the park, sniffing the air and barking loudly before he started to struggle with his leash. With the other dogs jumping around him in attempts to steal the bags of meat from his hands, Kakashi wasn't able to hold onto the leash well enough that it snapped, and with a speed that made greyhounds infamous- Uhei ran off without even bothering to look back despite his calls. He couldn't run off to follow him too since he's literally rooted to his spot, trapped with the other members of the pack.

The silence was unnerving and it didn't help when they returned to the Hatake residence and found no one waiting there as they hoped.

"Hey man," Obito started, careful with his words. "I think you should call your dad now."

Obito had a point. This was the extent of what they could do. Kakashi held up his phone, swiping away the missed call notifications he got from an unknown number and unlocked the screen, thumb hovering at his father's name on his contacts list. He'll be in very big trouble, he just knew it, but he'll worry about the repercussions later. Right now, finding Uhei is more important.

"Nohara-chan, Uchiha-kun, Hatake-kun?" came an all too familiar voice and they whipped their heads around just before Kakashi was about to press the call bottom.

Kakashi's eyes widened at the sight of their pink-haired teacher standing before them, flanked by Obito's cousin- Sasuke and the mayor's son- Naruto. Then an all too familiar bark echoed in his ears. Sakura let go of the broken leash and the greyhound immediately ran to his owner. Kakashi's body moved instantaneously, meeting the dog halfway with his knees hitting the cement as he held the canine close.

" _Bad dog!_ " Kakashi shouted and the dog jerked his head back as he flicked his nose. "I was so worried about you! _Don't you dare run away again!_ "

Sasuke snorted while Naruto grinned in amusement at the sight of the Hatake reprimanding his dog like how a father would scold a misbehaved son.

"H-Haruno-sensei? How did-" Obito started and the pinkette sent the three of them an apologetic smile.

"We found this guy while we were out on the street. He practically jumped at me and knocked me off my feet." She giggled as she approached Kakashi who was hugging the dog by now. Despite the overwhelming feeling of relief flooding inside him, Kakashi realized it too late when the pinkette suddenly squatted in front of him to meet his level. Her warm smile spiked his heart rate and the tips of his ears burned instantaneously like it always did- especially now when she's the closest she's ever been with him. "I'm sorry, Hatake-kun."

Heart thumping wildly that he could feel it in his throat, the silver-haired could only blink in question. He was too lost in her beautiful green eyes. "You must've been really worried. I tried calling the number on his tag but no one was answering. We brought him to your address but no one was at the house when we came. We also went to Nohara-chan and Uchiha-kun's houses but no one was there either, and Sasuke's out here with us. We couldn't just leave the poor guy alone so we decided to bring him with us. It's a good thing we caught you guys this time, or else I would've brought him back home with me. I'm sorry for hogging him all day."

Her hand fell on Uhei's head, petting him tenderly and the dog whipped his head around and proceeded to lick and bump his nose on her face. In his daze, Kakashi still found it suspicious that the greyhound acted so familiar with the pinkette. As if he hadn't seen her for a really long time.

"Sorry to butt in but we need to go." Sasuke interjected, snapping their heads to their teacher's companions.

"Yeah! We better get going now Sakura-chan or else we'll miss the movie!" added Naruto.

With one last smile towards them, Sakura then proceeded to pet the dog more affectionately and Uhei wagged his tail excitedly at her attention. It was quite odd when she kissed his head and held her forehead to his for a few seconds before finally standing up, even more so when Uhei made a move to follow her.

"You two did a great job helping your friend. I'm very proud of you three." Sakura addressed Obito and Rin, making them flush and laugh in embarrassment. "Well, at least we can rest easy now, huh? You kids have a nice weekend, alright? Be careful on going home. I'll see you three on Monday."

"U-Uhm… H-Haruno-sensei!" she stopped and looked back at Kakashi who now stood on his feet, hand gripping tightly on Uhei's broken leash. With her full attention directed at him, it was a wonder how he's still standing and can still (at least) form coherent words despite the butterflies in his stomach. Kakashi took a deep breath, straightened his back, and bowed waist deep at the pinkette. "Thank you very much for taking care of Uhei! A-And for bringing him back!"

He didn't need to look up to know she was smiling at him. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't trust himself not to faint if he does see that gorgeous smile for him.

"No problem."

Sakura gave them a final wave before sliding into Sasuke's car with Naruto as they sped off to the movie theatre.

"Wait a second!" Obito jerked. "I kinda get how Haruno-sensei knew where I live if she's friends with Sasuke-nii but… how did she know where you live, Rin-chan?"

Rin flustered, bringing her hands up in defense. "A-Actually, Haruno-sensei and I are next door neighbors."

"What?! Really?! How come you never told us?!"

"I-I-It's not like we're keeping it a secret! Haruno-sensei said that it might be an inconvenience for me if people found out our homeroom teacher lives next door to me. So we kind of agreed to never mention it unless it's fine for us."

"Oh. But still… oh wow, hey! That means Haruno-sensei's just lives one block away from you! Aren't ya lucky, Kakashi?!"

* * *

Kakashi took a deep breath for possibly the nth time that day as he stared up at the door to the teacher's lounge. His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he gripped the box of baked goods in his hands. Ever since the entire incident with Uhei, Sakura seemed to have established a permanent residence in the forefront of his mind. He was always thinking about her but that incident seemed to have only made it worse for him. From the moment he woke up to when he slept at night, he's been thinking more and more of her. It used to limit from just admiring her beauty but then it resorted to _questions_.

When he does the laundry, he wondered what color is her favorite; when he eats, he wondered what her favorite food is; when he tends to the dogs, he wondered if she preferred cats or dogs or any other animal; when he looks at the pictures hanging on their walls, he wondered what sort of past she had; when he slept, he wondered if she preferred the right or the left side of the bed; when he sees a random couple passing by, he wondered if she has a boyfriend.

Shaking his head violently, Kakashi willed himself to stop. He shouldn't let himself think further into this. He doesn't want to waste this opportunity after all. Whirlwind of emotions aside, he owed her a great deal and wanted to thank her first and foremost. Of course, he told his father what happened and the older Hatake was just relieved that nothing bad happened. But then he went up and found himself wondering out loud what he could do to thank her. He remembered the strange look his father sent his way before none-too-subtly mentioning that the pink-haired woman ' _might'_ be fond of sweet baked goods- specifically vanilla flavored muffins.

He'll have to wonder what that was all about as Kakashi spent the entire day making the perfect batch of muffins while incorporating tips from his mother's recipes.

Knocking came easier than he thought but taking a peek and excusing himself was a whole other agenda. At least Haruno-sensei was alone in the lounge.

"Y-Yo!"

"Can I help you, Hatake-kun?" she looked up from where she was reading an article on her phone.

Kakashi flustered, "I-I was just- uhm… I- t-there's something I'd like to give you, H-H-Haruno-sensei!"

She blinked, and Kakashi swooned when she moved a stray lock of her newly-trimmed hair away from her face. "Alright, you can come in."

Granting permission, he made sure to make his steps even as he approached her at the center table. He took another deep breath and presented to her the box containing a dozen muffins.

"H-Here!"

Sakura blinked, gingerly accepting the box and taking a peek inside. "Ooh! Muffins! But… what's all this for?"

He swallowed, "I-It's a thank-you present. I-I'm really grateful for- for what you did, sensei. We have seven other dogs but Uhei's part of the pack. He's like family to us a-and I'm really happy that you brought him back."

Pink brows furrowed, "But I made you worry. I should've tried to contact you more. I'm sorry I didn't bring him back sooner."

"N-No! It's okay! Really! You don't have to worry about me, sensei. Besides, I'm more relieved because- because at least I know that Uhei was in g-good hands. And please don't try to give it back, I'm not gonna take it and besides I...! I…" he swore every visible part of his skin is colored crimson red already. "I m-made them for you…"

With his head facing on one side, Kakashi wasn't able to see the way her eyes widened, lips slightly parted, and the small layer of pink dusting her cheeks.

"O-Oh! Well, if you put it that way… I suppose I have no choice but to accept it now, do I?" blinking away her surprise, a mischievous grin tugged at her lips as she winked. "You didn't mix any love potion in these, did you?"

Kakashi felt he just had a heart-attack. He whipped his head back to her so fast it's a wonder he didn't get whiplashed. "W-Wha-?!"

Sakura giggled, waving her hand dismissively. "Relax Hatake-kun, I was just teasing you."

"Y-You're so mean, sensei."

A comfortable silence swept over them, and for once Kakashi relished the time with the pinkette. With his heart still beating loudly in his chest, at least this time he felt a sort of welcoming content for the first time among their interactions. It felt much nicer than the nervousness and anxiety. However the moment was cut (rudely) short (for his taste) when they heard a cough.

"Haruno-sensei."

Kakashi's eyes widened to see the older Uchiha standing by the open door. "Itachi?"

"Oh hello Itachi! Come on in. What brings you here today?" Sakura greeted and Kakashi blinked at the the pinkette's familiarity with the Uchiha- using his first name.

Taking the invitation, Itachi strode in with a small smile on his face as he presented a boxed lunch wrapped up in a cloth printed with the Uchiha clan's crest.

"I have brought you lunch, Haruno-sensei."

Her brows furrowed but kept her smile, "Is this your mother's doing again? As much as I appreciate the gesture, Itachi, you don't have to do this all the time."

 _All the time?_

"You know mother can be a bit insistent, but I don't mind at all Haruno-sensei. I like doing things for you."

Something ticked inside Kakashi at that moment and it's something that he didn't like **at all**. _Not one bit_. He and Itachi always had a respectful relationship as he was best friends with his cousin- Obito and maybe even borderline friends, but at that moment it felt like all that respect just disappeared like a puff of smoke.

"Oh you've always been such a gentleman." Sakura sighed wistfully, "Your brother can learn a lot from you."

"Sasuke-nii just have some difficulty showing his affection. I do hope you like your lunch, sensei. I made this one myself."

"Really? Well aren't I lucky today! Hatake-kun here just gave me these muffins. He said baked these himself! Oh I can't wait to try all of them, thank you boys." Sakura giggled, finally giving in and decided to take a taste of the goods given to her.

"Ho?" Itachi blinked and finally set his eyes on the silent figure beside him, catching his narrowed eyes with his own pointed stare. "I didn't know you were fond of pastries, Kakashi."

"It's a thank you-present. I wanted to thank Haruno-sensei for what she did for me."

"Ahh is it about your missing dog? Uhei, was it? I heard what happened from Obito but isn't it a bit too excessive for you to bake them yourself?"

"Uhei is family, and I don't mind at all. I wanted to express how _grateful_ I am to Haruno-sensei for what she did."

"I see. How very _thoughtful_ of you. You must've put your whole _feelings_ into those muffins."

"That I did."

"How _interesting_ , so did I."

While Sakura happily relished on the delicious food given to her by her precious students, it made her blissfully unaware of what just transcribed between said _precious_ students.

From that moment on, a silent rivalry has been set in stone between Kakashi and Itachi.

* * *

"Aww don't be jealous, Nyanko-sensei." Sakura cooed at the cat who stubbornly kept his head away from her. No doubt he smelled the scent of dog on her when she came back home. She pouted, "Now, now, don't be like that. Tell you what, why don't I serve you some sushi today? I bought some tuna, your favorite."

The cat whipped his head around at the familiar sound of ' _sushi'_ and ' _tuna'_. Finally earning her cat's attention, she scooped the feline up in her arms and proceeded towards the kitchen, leaving the picture of her fifteen-year-old self hugging a young-adult Uhei wearing the vest of a service dog who became her close companion and shoulder to cry on during her lapses in nightmares while she trained under Captain Hatake's watchful eye.

* * *

 **I'll be following the 3-episode (in this case, 3-chapter) rule this time.**

 **So once again!**

 **I will continue depending on your responses!**

 **Ciao~!**


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